Refugee, immigrant kids face health risks: study
Western diets high in fat, sugar will leave 40% with chronic issues, researcher says
The children of refugees and immigrants are at a high risk of developing chronic health problems after their arrival in Canada, a University of Saskatchewan research team has discovered.
Yu Xiao experienced it when her family arrived in Vancouver from China seven years ago. She said her son — who was seven years old when they immigrated to Canada — quickly became “addicted” to the fast food she and her husband would regularly pick up after a long work day.
“We don’t enjoy it — but he did,” she said.
Although the U of S study is focused on immigrant and refugee children who have been in Canada for five years or less, its findings paralleled Xiao’s experience with her son.
Lead researcher Dr. Hassan Vatanparast, a professor in the College of Pharmacy and Nutrition and the School of Public Health whose research work focuses on at-risk populations, said while researchers have looked at the health of adult immigrants and refugees previously, this study is the first in Canada to look at what happens to children.
Focusing on 300 immigrant and refugee children between the ages of three and 13 living in Saskatoon and Regina, the researchers discovered deficiencies linked to diets lacking in fruits, vegetables and milk products, Vatanparast said, noting 83 per cent of immigrant children and 76 per cent of refugee children do not eat the recommended amounts daily.
The lack of these foods drastically decreased their intake of calcium, zinc and vitamin D.
Of the immigrant children who participated in the study, 79 per cent lacked the proper amount of calcium, 86 per cent weren’t getting enough vitamin D and 23 per cent were deficient in their zinc intake. Those numbers are higher for refugee children, reaching 82 per cent (calcium) 96 per cent (vitamin D) and 36 per cent (zinc).
Overall, the study revealed socioeconomic factors paired with the embracing of western diets high in fats and sugars will leave 40 per cent of these children with high cholesterol, stunted growth or obesity problems in the future.
Although both refugee and immigrant children face a higher probability of chronic health problems, Vatanparast said the two groups should be differentiated because their future outcomes differ. Refugee children are more likely to suffer from stunted growth and high cholesterol levels; immigrant children face a higher risk of obesity.
“Imagine if back home you had Mcdonalds or KFC, but in these low-income countries those kind of fast food chains are considered luxury foods and there it is a bit more expensive, but here it’s very accessible and available,” Vatanparast said. “So you come here, already exposed to all the advertisements and so on as a symbol of the western diet.”
Additionally, he noted these children tend to be influenced by western culture, so fast-food meals quickly become a favourite and because of their affordability and convenience, it’s easier for the parents — who are generally working long hours in low-paying jobs — to grab on their way home.
Xiao said long hours at work meant no time to prepare the traditional dishes her family was used to eating, and moving to Saskatoon five years ago only made it more difficult to find the ingredients for a reasonable price.
However, being in Saskatoon also lowered their living expenses significantly, so she was able to cut her work hours and now spends that extra time cooking at home and ferrying her son to piano and soccer practice, which keeps him active and healthy, she said.
“He’s still chubby — but also strong.”